Victor e



(No Model.)

V: E. RUMBARGER. BICYCLE :HANDLE- BAR.

No. 553,178. Patented Jan. 14, 1896.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VICTOR E. RUMBARGER, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HIRAM G. PROTSMAN, OF SAME PLACE.

BICYCLE HANDLE-BAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,178, dated January 14, 1896.

Application filed October 7, 1895.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VICTOR E. RUMBARGER, of Dayton, county of Montgomery, State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Bicycle Handle-Bars; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My inventionrelates to new and useful improvements in bicycles and has a specific reference to the handle-bar.

Owing to the rigid attachment of the handle bar the same is subjected to every vibra tion of the bicycle while the latter is in motion and which is especially severe on roads that are more or less rough. This constant jerking is transferred to the arms of the rider and is very injurious to the nerves and muscles of the arms, and the effects of which often last after the rider has dismounted.

One of the objects of this invention, therefore, is to provide means for preventing the constant jolting of the arms and to relieve said arms of the vibrations of the machine.

A further object is to provide means for adjusting the handle-bar in combination with the aforesaid means for preventing the vibration of said handle-bar.

To the foregoing ends the invention consists of parts and their arrangements, as will be hereinafter fully described in the specification and set out in the claims.

Referring to the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the head. Parts of the handlebar and stem are broken off. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the center of said Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detached detail view of the reciprocating bar or plunger and a portion of the spring-supporting bar, looking in the. direction of the arrow in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detached detail view of the eccentric. Fig. 5 is a top view of the plungerwasher.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the

Serial No. 564,880. (No model.)

letter A designates the upright tubular stem. B is a forging or head to which said stem is brazed.

O designates a shaft which is journaled in the head B, and to the ends of which the handle-bars O C are rigidly attached. The head B has a cylindrical portion B, in the sides of which the shaft 0 is journaled. A ratchet" wheel D is inclosed in this portion of said head and is rigidly mounted on the shaft 0.

The letter a designates a plunger, the upper end a of which is rounded and is loosely inclosed in an opening in the upper part of the head. The middle portion of this plunger is provided with an opening I), which occupies a position in opening I) in said head adjacent to the ratchet-wheel.

c designates a detent pivoted in said plunger at 0 and occupying the space I). This detent is normally pressed into the teeth of said ratchet-wheel by a plate-spring c that is attached to a side of the head.

(1 designates a bar having its upper end curved at c and rigidly attached at c to the head. The lower portion of thisbar is rounded and inclosedby a helical spring f, which rests upon a washer f that has a screwthreaded engagement with the bar (Z. This washer may therefore be screwed to a higher or lower position on the bar cl to increase or decrease the tension of the spring.

d designates a circular plate which has an ear (1 by which it is attached to the lower end of the plunger, and has an opening cl in its center through which the bar d freely passes.

g is a rubber washer which loosely incloses the bar cl below said plate 61, and g is a metallic washer inclosing said rubber washer and against which the upper end of the spring f presses. This rubber washer is instrumental in providing an additional cushion for the plunger in the event the spring f should be compressed to its limit, the pressure being then transferred to the rubber washer. The downward movement of the plunger a is limited by the shoulders e on the bar d, against which the washer g is borne.

As shown in Fig. 3, the plunger is reduced in diameter or size below the square part in order that the upper curved end of the bar d may have room to pass.

"L designates an eccentric which is j ournaled in the sides of the head and incloses the outer side of the plate spring 0.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the handle-bar bears upon the helical spring f through the medium of the ratchet pawl or detent c and the plunger a and will therefore be relieved'of the sudden jars or vibrations that the other parts of the machine are subjected to while the latter is in motion. Such motion as the handle-bar will naturally have under the pressure of the hands will be gradual and not of a sudden or vibratory nature. Consequently the unpleasant and injurious effects hereinbefore mentioned will be avoided. The position of the handle-bar may be adjusted at any desirable angle by turning the eccentric-pin 1) until the straight surface 1" comes adjacent to the plate-spring 0, when the ratchet-wheel may be turned in the direction of the arrow to bring the handle-bar to the desired position, after which the pin i is turned to the position shown in Fig. 2 to lock the ratchet mechanism.

Having fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a bicycle, the combination with the handle bar and stem, a head provided with a cylindrical portion -B and a ratchet wheel inclosed in said cylindrical portion, with which said handle bar is attached, of avertically movable plunger mounted in said head and stem, a detent pivoted to said plunger, and a cushion mounted in said stem below the plunger and which normally controls the latter, substantially as described.

2. In a bicycle, the combination with a handle bar stem, a head having a rearward cylindrical portion, and an opening extending therefrom to the front of the head, of a shaft journaled in said cylindrical portion to which the handle bars are attached, a ratchet wheel mounted on said shaft, a plunger slidingly mounted in said head and having its lower end projecting into the stem, a detent pivoted to said plunger and adapted to engage with said ratchet wheel, an eccentric for locking said parts in engagement, and ahelical spring inclosed in the stem and forming a cushion against which said plunger normally rests, substantially as described.

3. In a bicycle, the combination with the head, the handle bar, and the handle bar stem, of a ratchet wheel rigidly mounted on said handle bar, a plunger a, a detent pivoted on said plunger, a bar d rigidly attached to the interior of the head, a helical spring inclosing the lower end of said bar, washers attached to the plunger and to the bar dinclosing the ends of said spring, and means for regulating the tension of said spring, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 1st day Of October, 1895.

VICTOR E. RUMBARGER.

Vitnesses:

HIRAM G. PROTSMAN, R. J. McOARTY. 

